Facts about Nepal

All the Nepali people collectively constitute the nation.

Nonetheless, political tensions and consequent power-sharing battles have continued in Nepal.

Nepal, known officially as the State of Nepal, is a landlocked Himalayan country in South Asia.

The spectacular landscape and exotic culture of Nepal represents considerable potential for tourism, but security concerns relating to the Maoist conflict led to a decrease in tourism, a key source of foreign exchange.

The new constitution of Nepal has changed Nepal practically into a federal democratic republic.

Nepalis respect degrees obtained abroad and many scholars study overseas or in India.

The origin of the name "Nepal" is uncertain, but the most popular understanding is that it derives from "Ne" (holy) and "pal" (cave).

Nepali writers and poets include Lakshmi Prasad Devkota, Lekhnath Paudyal, Balkrishna Sama, and Guruprasad Mainali.

Buddhism was more common among the Newar and Tibeto-Nepalese groups.

The other main cities include Bharatpur, Biratnagar, Bhairahawa, Birgunj, Janakpur, Pokhara, Nepalgunj, and Mahendranagar.

Approximately 103,000 Bhutanese Lhotshampas (Hindus) have been confined in refugee camps in southeastern Nepal since 1990.

Nepal has five climatic zones, broadly corresponding to altitude.

Eight of the world's highest mountains are located in Nepal, including Kanchenjunga, the world's third highest peak, and Annapurna I, II, III and IV.

Nepal's 2000–2005 deforestation rate was about 1.4 percent per year.

Nepal's workforce of about 10 million suffers from a severe shortage of skilled labor.

In August 2011, the Jhala Nath Khanal Government was toppled and Baburam Bhattarai of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) was made the Prime Minister.

The form of governance of Nepal is a multi-party, competitive, federal democratic republican parliamentary system based on plurality.

Nepal has three river systems: The Koshi River basin in the east, the Narayani River basin (India's Gandak River), and the Karnali River basin in the west.

The Constitution of Nepal has defined three organs of the government: executive, legislative, and judiciary.

Musical genres from Tibet and India have had a strong influence on traditional Nepali music.

About 25.4 percent of Nepal is covered with forest, of which around 9.6 percent consists of "primary forest" which is relatively intact.

Nepal's diverse linguistic heritage evolved from four major language groups: Indo-Aryan, Tibeto-Burman, Mongolian, and various indigenous language isolates.

Mount Everest is located on the border with China between Nepal and Tibet.

Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with almost one-third of its population living below the poverty line.

Amid student demonstrations in 1979, King Birendra called for a referendum on the nature of Nepal's government—either reform the panchayat system or establish a multiparty system.

The Nepali Congress Party, a moderate socialist group, gained a substantial victory.

Despite its geographical isolation and limited economic potential, the region always has been the political and cultural center of Nepal.

The hill region (Pahad in Nepali) abuts the mountains and varies from 3,300 to 13,125 feet (1,000 to 4,000 meters) in altitude.

The 2001 census identified 92 different living languages spoken in Nepal.

The Nepali year begins in mid-April and is divided into 12 months.

Nepal has between 100,000 and 200,000 internally displaced persons as a result of the conflict between government forces and Maoist rebels.

Nepal is the location for the illicit production of cannabis and hashish for the domestic and international drug markets, and is a transit point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West.

To avoid an expensive military campaign, India sponsored Tribhuvan as Nepal's new king in 1951, and a new government, mostly comprised of members of the Nepali Congress Party.

Derived from Sanskrit, Nepali is related to the Indian language Hindi and written in Devanagari script.

In 1923 the United Kingdom and Nepal signed an agreement of friendship, recognizing Nepal's independence.

The Nepali royal family belongs to the Thakuri sub-caste of Chhetris.

At one point, 70 percent of Nepal's countryside was under Maoist rule.

Nepal has seen rapid political changes during the last two decades.

Pashupatinath, a large Shiva temple in Kathmandu, is among the holiest sites in Nepal and attracts Hindu pilgrims from all over South Asia.

Between 1788 and 1791, Nepal invaded Tibet and robbed the Tashilhunpo Monastery.

Nepal may be divided into three areas: the mountain, hill, and Terai regions.

The southeast ridge on the Nepalese side of the mountain is easier to climb, which is why many climbers enter Nepal.

Up until 1990, Nepal was a monarchy under executive control of the King.

The Nepali Congress Party won the country's first democratic elections, with Girija Prasad Koirala becoming prime minister.

The citizens of Nepal are known as Nepali or Nepalese.

Most houses in rural Nepal are made up of a bamboo framework with mud and cow-dung walls.

Nepali rap and Nepali reggae has blossomed with the advent of the music video industry.

The Treaty of Sugauli ceded parts of the Terai and Sikkim to the company in exchange for Nepalese autonomy.

Women's status in Nepal has been steadily rising.

The overwhelming majority of the Nepalese population follows Hinduism.

The culture of high-caste Hindus has been Nepal’s "prestige culture."

Ancient Indian epics such as the Mahabharata mention the Kiratas, the inhabitants of Nepal in the first millennium B.C.E.

Madhav Kumar Nepal of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) was made the Prime Minister of the coalition government.

Alarmed, the Chinese emperor Qianlong dispatched a sizeable army which forced the Nepalese to retreat and pay heavy reparations.

Nepali culture is influenced by the cultures of Tibet and India, which borders Nepal to the south.

Many Nepalese in government and business also speak English.

All Nepali citizens 18 years and older became eligible to vote.

The constitution is the fundamental law of Nepal.

China occupied Tibet in 1950, making India keen on stability in Nepal.

Nepal's legislature was bicameral, consisting of a House of Representatives called the Pratinidhi Sabha and a National Council called the Rastriya Sabha.

Unstable governments and rapidly changing political parties make the political scene in Nepal one of the most confusing in the world.

Nepal receives $50 million a year through the highly esteemed Gurkha soldiers who serve in the Indian and British armies.

Nepal has five seasons: Summer, monsoon, autumn, winter, and spring.

The Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) won the largest number of seats in the Constituent Assembly election held on April 10, 2008, and formed a coalition government.

People who were probably of Tibeto-Burman ethnicity lived in Nepal 2,500 years ago.

Nepal is governed according to the Constitution of Nepal, which came into effect on September 20, 2015, replacing the Interim Constitution of 2007.

Boycotts of Nepali carpets have not addressed the social problems that force children to become family wage earners.

By the late eleventh century, southern Nepal came under the influence of the Chalukya Empire of southern India.

Powers relating to justice in Nepal are exercised by courts and other judicial institutions, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

The presence of sites such as the Valmik ashram indicates the presence of Aryan culture in Nepal at that period.

Nepal has considerable scope for exploiting its potential in hydropower.

Under the Chalukyas, Nepal's religious establishment changed as the kings patronized Hinduism instead of the Buddhism prevailing at that time.

Traditional Nepali folklore retains a strong influence in society and its stories are widely acted out in dance and music.

The Nepalese are descendants of three major migrations from India, Tibet, and Central Asia.

The Chhetri are largest ethnic group of Nepal, making up 15.5 percent of the country's population.

Nepal suffers from high infant mortality, respiratory and intestinal diseases are endemic, and malnutrition is widespread.